Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-22
SYNOPSIS OF THE BILL.
A Full Summary of the Important Fea-
lures of the Measure.

lures of the Measure.
WASHINGTON, January 2l.-The Inter
State Commerce bill, rs agreed upon by
both houses of Congress, in its first section
applies the provisions of this act to any
common carrier engaged in the transporta-
ton of passengers, wholly by railroad, or
partly by railroad and partly by water,
when both are used under q common con-
troll, management or arrangement, through
more that one State or Territory or from
any place in the United States to an ada
cent foreign country. 1t defines the term
railroad" to include all bridges or ferries
used or operated by any railroad. All
charges made for any service rendered in
the transportation of passengers or prop
crty shall be reasonable and Just. and
every unjust and unreasonable charge for
such service is prohibited and declared to
he unlawful.
Section makes it unlawful for any COM
mon carrier, subject to the provisions of
this act, to charge, demand, collect, or re-
ccivc, directly or indirectly, from any
person or persons, 4 greater or less COM
pensatiOn for any service rendered in the
transportation of passengers or property
than it charges, demands, collects, or re-
ceives, from any other person or persons
for doing for him or them alike and con-
tempOraneOus service transportation of n
like kind of traffic, under substantially
similar circumstances and conditions.
Section ) makes it unlawful for any
common carrier subject to the provisions OF
this act to make or give any undue or un-
reasonable preference or advantage to any
particular person, company, firm, corpora
tiOn or locality, or any particular descrip-
ton of traffic Every common carrier,
subject to the provisions of this act, shall,
according TO their respective powers, afford
all reasonable, proper and equal facilities
for the interchange of traffic between their
respective lines, and for the receiving, for
warding and delivering of passengers and
property to and from their several lines,
and those connecting Herewith, and shall
not discriminate in their rates and charges
between such connecting lines.
Sections and 5 (the long and short haul
and pooling sections) are rs follows:
Section 4. That it shall be unlawful for
any common carrier, subject to the proyi-
sions of this act, to charge or receive any
greater compensation in the aggregate for
the transportation of passengers or Of like
kind of property under substantially simi-
lar circumstances and conditions, for a
shorter than for longer distance, over the
same line in the same direction, the shorter
being included within the longer distance;
but this shall not be construed rs author
izing any common carrier within the terms
of this act, to charge aud receive
AS great compensation for o shorter
as for 4 longer distance, prOvid-
ed, however, that upon application
to the commission appointed under the
provisions of this act, such common carrier
NAV in special cases, after investigation by
the Commissioner, he authorized to charge
less for longer than for shorter distances for
the transportation of passengers or proper
ty; and the Commission may from time to
time prescribe the extent to which such
designated common carrier may be reliev-
ed from the operation of this section Of
this act.
Section 5. That it shall be unlawful for
common carrier subject to the provisions
of thia act, to enter into any contract,
agreement or combination with any other
common carrier, or carriers, for the pool
ing of freights of different and competing
railroads, or to divide between them, the
aggregate or net proceeds of the earnings,
of such railroads or any portion thereof;
and in any case Of an agreement for the
pooling of freight, as aforesaid, each day OF
its continuance shall be deemed separate
OflenSe.
Section requires that after ninety days
from the passage of the act every common
carrier, subject to its provisions, shall have
printed, and keep for public inspection
schedules showing rates, fares and charges,
and in addition to requiring the railroads
to give publicity at all OI
the depOtS on their several lines,
it gives authority to the Commission
where it is proper and necessary, to require
them to give publicity to their rates to Other
places beyond the lines Of their several
railroads. 1t also requires that the rates,
fares and charges shall not be raised except
after ten days of public notice, but that
they may be reduced without previous
public notice, the notice, however, shall be
simultaneous with the reduction itself.
Section : makes it unlawful for any
common carrier to enter into any combina-
ton or agreement to prevent the carriage
of freights from being continuous from the
place of shipment to the place of destina-
ton.
Section declares that any common car
rier violating the provisions of the act
shall be liable to the person or persons in
jured thereby, for the full amount Of dam
ages sustained, in consequence of any such
violation, together with reasonable counsel
or attorney fee.
The ninth section provides that persons
claiming to have been damaged by the ac-
ton of common carriers may proceed for
recovery of their damages, either in the
courts Of the United States or before the
commission herein provided for, but not
before both tribunals.
The tenth section makes it 3 penal ofenes